Welt-seam-trimming machine



(NoModeL) Z. T; FRENCH 8: W-. C. MEYER.

WELT SEAM TRIMMING MACHINE.

No. 558,381. Patented Apr. 14,1896.

ANDREW EGRAHAM, PnmomuuwAsnmsTom D C.

UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

ZACIIARY T. FRENCH AND \VILLIAM G. MEYER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

WELT-SEAM-TRIMMING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,381, dated April 14, 1896.

Application filed June 14, 1896. Renewed March 26, 1896. Serial No. 584,936. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ZAOHARY T. FRENCH and WILLIAM C. MEYER, of Boston, county -'of Suffo1k,and State of Massachusetts,have invented'an Improvement in Welt-Seam-Trimand simplify the construction of machines oscillating or vibrating trimming-knife, of feeding mechanism adapted to in term'ittingly for trimming the welt-seams of wclted boots and shoes, so as to present a smooth flat surface for the outer sole, and at the same time materially increase the capacity of the machine.

Our invention comprehends an oscillating or vibrating trimming-knife sharpened upon 'oneside, and preferably arranged to trim the welt-seam on both the up and down movements thereof; and our invention consists, furthermore, in the combination, with such an feed along the work, and acting to feed the work each time the trimming-knife cuts; also,

in the combination, with such an oscillating or vibrating trimming-knife, of feeding mechf anism to feed along the work intermittingly each time the trimming-knife cuts, and a work-support against which the work is held pressed by the operator.

The feeding mechanism may comprise a pair of feeding-jaws, with means for operating them to grip the welt, then feed along the work, then release their hold upon the welt and return to their normal position to obtain another grip upon the welt.

The front jaw of thepair 0f feeding-jaws will be so shaped as to enter and work close to or in the inseam or crease or bear upon the last adjacent thereto, and the rear jaw of the pair of feeding-jaws will be so constructed as to afford ample space for the weltseam-trimming knife to work.

The work-support may be made in many ways; but a simple loop-like structure having a thin or more or less tapered end which enters the inseam orcrease or bears against the last adjacent thereto will effectually subserve the purpose, the end of the loop being made wide enough to cover or bear upon several of the stitches to equalize the pressure and prevent straining the stitches.

Figure 1 shows a right-hand side elevation of a welt-seam-trimming machine embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a front elevation of-the same; Fig. 3, a sectional detail of the feedingjaws on the dotted line 00, Fig. 1; Fig. 4c, a rear side view of the rear jaw; Fig. 5, a cross-section of the welt-seam-trimming knife.

The framework comprises, essentially, a baseA and'two vertical side pieces B B, rising therefrom. The main shaft (1, is journaled in said pieces 13 and has secured to it an cecentric disk a, (see dotted lines, Fig. 1,) embraced by an eccentric strap (F, from which projects outwardly an arm (0*, the lower end of which is connected by a pin 2 or otherwise with a knife carrying arm (0 pivoted at a to a block 0, dovetailed in the base A and secured thereto in an adjustable manner, as by a screw 3, passing through a slot and entering the base. The knife-carrying arm a has secured to its extremity a curved trimmin g-knife b, one edge of which is sharpened.

As the main shaft a revolves the knife-carrying arm a is vibrated and the trimmingknife 1') thereby oscillated in the arc of a circle of which the pivot a is the center. This form of Welt-seam-trimming knife will cut off the between substance or trim the weltseam during both the ascent and descent thereof, thereby greatly increasing the capacity of the machine.

The lasted boot or shoe to which a welt has been sewed is held up against a suitable work-support 0, herein shown as a loop secured to a yoke or frame 0, attached to the baseA in an adjustable manner, as by screws 4, passing through slots and entering the base. The lower end of the loop 0 is made quite thin-as, for instance, it may be more or less tapered--so as to enter the inseam or crease or bear against the upper drawn taut over the last at a point adjacent the welt. The acting end of the loop 0 is made quite wide, so as to overlie several stitches to equalize the pressure and prevent straining the stitches.

Instead of making the work-support c as a loop-like structure, it may be made in many diiferent ways to present a thin acting end,

which is required to work down close in the inseam or crease.

As a feeding mechanism we have herein shown a clamp feeding device, constructed and arranged to intermittingly feed along the work. The clamp feeding device shown consists of a pair of jaws (Z c, the lower ends of which are made thin and tapering, so that the front jaw may work close in the inseam or crease and the rear jaw afford ample space for the trimming-knife to work, and said jaws are adapted to close together and grip and hold between them the welt and then carry the boot r shoe along a short distance, then open, releasing the welt and thereafter return to their starting-point. Such form of clamp feeding device is frequently called, a four motion feeding device.

The jaw (Z is located within the loop-like work-support c and works back and forth between the vertical arms or sides thereof. This jaw (Z is attached by screws 5 to an arm d, depending fromla sleeve d mounted on a rod (Z said sleeve being free to rock and also slide longitudinally 011 said rod. The screws 5 5 pass through slots in said arm cl to enable the jaw dto be adjusted in and out,and a limiting-stop passes through an, car on the arm (1, bearing against the front of said jaw.

the jaw (Z four motions.

Two arms project radially from the sleeve (Z cured to the main shaft (1, said groove being so shaped that as thedisk revolves the sleeved will be rocked axially on the rod (Z each revolution of said disk so rocking the sleeve to and fro twice. The other radially-projecting arm (1" (seedotted lines, Fig. 1) enters a. peripheral cam-groove in said disk, said groove bein g so shaped as to cause the sleeve (1 to reciprocate longitudinally on the rodd each revolution of said disk so moving the sleeve back and forth longitudinally twice, andthe parts are so timed "that the sleeve (1 will be first rocked in one direction, moving out the jaw cl,then moved on the rod (1 in a direction toward the right, carrying the jaw cl with it,

then rocked inthe opposite direction, moving the jaw d inward that it may engage the welt, then move on the rod in a direction toward the left to feed alongthe work, thereby giving to These four motions will occur during each half-revolution ofthe disk D, and either immediately before orafter the welt-seam-trimming knife has descended The jaw e is attached by bearing a pin 6 which enters a cam-groove formed in the face of a disk D, secured to the main shaft ct,said eam-groovebeing so shaped as to rock the sleeve 6 substantially at the same time that the sleeve (Z is rocked, but in the opposite direction, so that the jaw 6 will be moved away from the work at the same time that the jaw 61 is moved away.

It may be necessary to only give one of the jaws four motions, the other jaw moving only back and forth, and in such case we prefer to give the front jaw (1 four motions and the rear jaw 0 two motions, and in such event the cam-grooved disk D and arm 6 with its pin may be omitted, or said parts maybe utilized for the purpose of steadying the jaw, and the groove in the disk in such case being made truly circular. The jaw e is cut away upon its rear side to afford ample space for the oscillating trimming-knife; Z). Thisf orm or construction of. feeding mechanism, it will be observed, works close to the inseam or crease and enables the operator to hold the work at the proper angle, that the seam may be trimmed close to the stitches, and obviating the necessity of tilting the shoe in such manner as is requiredwhen using a roller-feed.

In operating the machine the boot or shoe is held up against the work-support c, and as the shaft a revolves the jawsd e grasp the welt and intermittingly feed along the shoe and the trimming knife oscillates and trims off the between substance, the work being fed along two steps to each revolution of the main shaft a and the welt-seam-trimming knife cutting the seamboth as it,descends and also as it ascends.

We do not herein broadly elaima weltseam-trimming knife turning, on an axis and means for holding and feedingthe work having as a cooperative part of it a device which side of the welt, a welt-seam-trimming knife at the opposite sidethereof having a cutting edge upon one side, means for moving it, a pair of clampfeeding-jaws, and means for operating them to gripthe welt, and to feed along the work against the. cutting edge of the moving knife, substantially as described.

2. In a welt-seam-trimming machine, the combination of a work-support at the face side of the welt, a welt-seam-trimming knife at the oppositeside thereof having a cutting edge upon one side, means for moving it, a pair of clamp feeding-jaws, and means for operating them to grip the welt, and feed along the work against the cutting edgepf 

